Peru - Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months)

Exclusive breastfeeding (% of children under 6 months) in Peru was 66.40 as of 2018. Its highest value over the past 32 years was 72.30 in 2013, while its lowest value was 28.00 in 1986.

Definition: Exclusive breastfeeding refers to the percentage of children less than six months old who are fed breast milk alone (no other liquids) in the past 24 hours.

Source: UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.

See also:

Year Value
1986 28.00
1992 48.00
1996 53.00
2000 66.60
2004 63.90
2006 63.30
2007 68.70
2008 66.50
2009 68.30
2010 68.30
2011 70.10
2012 67.40
2013 72.30
2014 66.60
2015 62.70
2016 66.00
2017 64.20
2018 66.40

Development Relevance: For optimal infant and young child feeding, mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth, breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, and continue to breastfeed for two years or more while providing nutritionally adequate, safe, and age-appropriate solid, semisolid, and soft foods. Breast milk alone contains all the nutrients, antibodies, hormones, and antioxidants an infant needs to thrive. It protects babies from diarrhea and acute respiratory infections, stimulates their immune systems and response to vaccination, and may confer cognitive benefits.

Limitations and Exceptions: Most of the data on breastfeeding are derived from household surveys. For the data that are from household surveys, the year refers to the survey year.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Health Indicators

Sub-Topic: Nutrition